Motherboard manufacturer ASRock has been experimenting with ways to speed up the boot time on a Windows PC. The result is a machine that can boot into Windows XP or Vista in just 4 seconds; and better yet, it is possible right now if you have a compatible ASRock motherboard.{ad}

The speed gains have been made possible by utilizing the S3 and S4 states of the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI). ACPI is an open standard used to allow for features such as sleep and hibernation modes.

ASRock have created an Instant Boot system that uses the S3 and S4 states at different times to allow for such rapid retrieval of a Windows instance. Their Instant Boot offers both Fast mode and Regular mode. Fast mode offers the 4 second boot, where as Regular mode takes around 20 seconds – still some 30 seconds faster than a typical cold boot sequence.

The other advantage of Instant Boot over typical hibernation modes is it actually involves a reboot of the machine meaning it gets rid of any garbage collected that can typically slow your machine down, or make it more unstable. ASRock believe their system is of value not only because it offers faster boot times, but because it makes it more feasible to turn off your machine and save energy as it can turn back on almost instantly.

The video above shows a demonstration of the difference in time between a cold boot and Instant Boot Fast mode. You can learn more about the system, including which motherboards are compatible, at the ASRock Instant Boot web page.

Matthew’s Opinion
Unfortunately I don’t have compatible motherboard otherwise I would definitely been downloading the BIOS update and giving this a try. A 4 second boot sequence is something I think we would all love to have on our machines and would likely result in us turning them off more often.

I regularly leave my machine on all day when I know I am only going to be away from it for short periods of time. This is mainly because the system booting up and settling down for normal used can take a few minutes. This system seems to solve that problem.

New operating systems, such as Windows 7, are looking into adding a faster boot sequence, but here we have a solution that works with existing hardware and operating systems. If Windows 7 does cut its boot time as well, then we truly could have an instant on machine by combining it with the ASRock system.

If anyone gives this Instant Boot system a try let us know how well/badly it works in the comments below.